According to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, “Of Mary, there is never enough.”
Do you have enough spiritual reading for the month dedicated to Our Lady? Chances are, you don’t! Here are 5 classic book suggestions that will help you grow in devotion to the Blessed Virgin this May.
ONE
Meditations on Mary by Jacques-Benigne Bossuet
This work is “a spiritual powerhouse that will lift your soul to God and help you along the path to heaven.”
Written by 17th century bishop and renowned homilist, Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, Meditations on Mary contains 24 powerful meditations on the life of Our Lady, the perfect Christian.
According to Sophia Institute Press,
Bishop Bossuet takes you on a stunning pilgrimage through the principal mysteries of Our Lady’s life. He masterfully blends what he’s learned from Sacred Scripture with the spiritual traditions rooted in the heart of the Church, and illuminates it with his own theological reflections.
TWO
Cause of Our Joy by Mother Mary Francis
“Mary, all the world’s a Tepeyac / bleak for your coming. Paint our shabby prayer, / a rougher tilma, with your saving face.”
Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., was the abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady of Guadulupe in Roswell, NM, foundress of four Poor Clare monasteries, and advocate for authentic religious life post-Second Vatican Council. She authored many spiritual works, including the religious bestseller A Right to Be Merry.
Ignatius Press writes of Cause of Our Joy:
These meditations on Mary are filled with wisdom and hope. On ordinary days, on Marian holy days, and in times of spiritual and moral challenges, they offer the strength and the consolation that come from a relationship with the Mother of Jesus.
THREE
Redemptoris Mater by Pope St. John Paul II
Although the Polish pope was well-known for his devotion to Mary, Redemptoris Mater was the only encyclical he wrote about her.
“The Church’s supreme magisterium and representative of the Church’s most penetrating theological reflection combine to provide for all the faithful a rich and concise compendium of the Mother of the Redeemer,” states Ignatius Press.
The encyclical can also be accessed for free here.
FOUR
The World’s First Love by Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
“She existed in the Divine Mind as an Eternal Thought before there were any mothers. She is the Mother of mothers—she is the world’s first love,” Sheen reflects in The World’s First Love.
In this book, the bishop offers “a moving portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary that combines deep spirituality with history, philosophy and theology.”
In addition to his contemplation on the life of Mary, Sheen also examines the contemporary issues which dominate modern society, man’s need for Mary’s loving help, and the unique ways in which women can help heal the world.
FIVE
Daughter Zion by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
Jump deeper into Scripture with this short, 80-page work packed with biblical insights into the four Marian dogmas of the Church: Mary as the Mother of God, her perpetual virginity, her Immaculate Conception, and her Assumption.
“Cardinal Ratzinger examines how these beliefs are linked to the Church’s faith in Jesus Christ. Far from competing with the truth about Christ, the Church’s Marian beliefs uphold and underscore that truth,” states Ignatius Press.
Daughter Zion will help you learn more about how Mary was prefigured by Old Testament women such as Eve, Sarah, and Hannah and come to a deeper understanding for the Mother of God.
